Draft protection devices for balances are known in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,874,694 discloses a draft shield design. The draft shield is mounted on a top cover of the balance and includes front and rear panels as well as two side panels forming a main chamber, wherein the side panels and a top panel are slidable. However, the panels are not removable without the use of a tool and, therefore, it is not easy to clean the draft shield. The top panel slides on the inside on side rails, so that it is not possible to place an object which is taller and wider than the draft shield into the main chamber of the balance.
In existing draft shield designs, structural stiffness is provided through a rugged back panel or a full frame structure of the slidable top panel.
Furthermore, friction can affect the smooth operation of the sliding panels.